Browsing: Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Q. If I take the $15,000 retirement incentive being offered now, (I have 25 years under FERS, am a Postal Service employee, and am 64 years old), will my Blue Cross premiums go up? If so, by how much? I now pay $81.68 a month. Also, if I decide to get married, my family option now would be $203.61 a month. How much would these premiums be if I take the retirement incentive? I must make the decision by Dec. 3. Is the FERS pension amount taxed? If so, is it taxed by income and Federal Insurance Contributions Act? My…

Q. When I retire from the Veterans Affairs Department at age 62 in nine years, I will have carried Blue Cross/Blue Shield on myself for 20 years and my spouse for 16. He will be 65 then. Can we continue the BC/BS family plan after I retire? What will be the difference in premiums? I pay approximately $200 per month now. I am worried that I won’t have health insurance because I won’t be Medicare-eligible until age 65? A. Relax. You’ll not only be able to continue your coverage in retirement, but the premiums will be the same as those…

Q. My husband has been receiving federal retirement income each month.  He passed away in July, and I have submitted the paperwork to receive a portion of his retirement. I also would like to have the medical insurance payment taken out each month so I can receive the insurance coverage. He has Blue Cross/Blue Shield federal employee coverage and, as his wife, I wish to continue the coverage for myself. I have tried to reach the Blue Cross office in Dallas, and all I get is a recording regarding various medical information and cannot get a customer representative to speak…

Q. I am a 64-year-old federal employee and have Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Federal Employee Plan. I plan to keep that insurance and keep working for the government for several years after turning 65. I am considering whether to sign up and pay approximately $100 per month for Medicare Part B when I turn 65. I know that, as long as I continue to work, Medicare will be secondary to my primary coverage under Blue Cross, but I have found very little that explains what benefits Medicare pays as secondary. For example, will Medicare, as secondary, pay the deductibles…

Q. My wife retired on disability 2½ years ago after 26 years of federal service because of dementia. She has other health issues. Recently, we received a letter and a “Welcome to Medicare” brochure. We are very happy with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida. Can she refuse to go on Medicare? And what is are advantages of going on Medicare? A. There are no arguments in favor of turning down Medicare Part A. She already paid for it through payroll deductions while working. You need to look at her Federal Employees Health Benefits brochure to see what the effect would…

Q. My husband, who is retired from the Postal Service, turned 65 on Aug. 31. I am on his Blue Cross/Blue Shield and am still working full time at age 49. Now that he is 65, what does keeping the BC/BS health insurance cost per month? If he decides to go on Medicare, can I stay on this plan? A. When he enrolls in Medicare, his premiums will remain the same. However, because he is retired, Medicare will be primary and his Federal Employees Health Benefits plan secondary. You will continue to be covered by the self-and-family option of his…

Q. When I retired in 2003 from civil service with the Air Force, I didn’t get good counsel, so I didn’t do survivor benefits for my spouse. He is on my self and family Blue Cross insurance. If I precede him in death, will he still be able to continue with my Blue Cross insurance as single? A. No, he won’t. For him to be able to continue that enrollment, he would have to be receiving a survivor annuity. Note: It’s not too late for you to provide one for him. To find out what’s involved and the cost, go…

Q. I retired from the federal government at age 55 with survivor benefits for my husband, who is eight years younger than I am. I will be eligible for Medicare on Dec. 1.  If I opt for the Medicare parts A and B, can I reduce the costs of Blue Cross/Blue Shield by going from family plan, which covers both of us, to the single plan for him only? A. Not unless he is a federal employee or retiree and, as such, eligible to enroll on his own.

Q. I have worked for the federal government for 26 years, and will be eligible to retire next year at age 56. I have family coverage with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for myself and my children but not my ex-husband. If I remarry, I assume I can add my new husband to my family policy. Will my new husband be eligible for health care coverage under my policy in retirement if I retire within the next two to five years? A. As long as your husband is covered by your self-and-family enrollment on the day you retire, he will remain covered as…